Transforming structure with tower shuttle

ABSTRACT

A transportable, transformable structure utilizing a tower shuttle apparatus for converting the structure from a closed, transportable unit to an open, stationary unit. The tower shuttle includes a connection post, including a socket joint, connected to a shuttle cart on casters. The socket joint is capable of receiving a ball connection at the base of a structural tower affixed to the transformable structure. This connection allows a single operator to fully assemble a mobile performance stage or other transportable, transformable structure with ease and with no damage to the stage deck. The tower shuttle allows the towers to be moved into position no matter the required direction.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No.13/279,929, filed Oct. 24, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,544,213, issuedOct. 1, 2013, which claims priority in U.S. Provisional Application No.61/406,005, filed Oct. 22, 2010, and is incorporated herein byreference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present disclosed technology relates generally to an apparatus forraising and aligning the structural towers of a collapsible performancestage, and more specifically to a rolling shuttle which receives theends of the structural towers of a collapsible performance stage andfacilitates positioning the towers in their upright positions supportinga roof over the stage.

2. Description of the Related Art

Mobile performance stages are commonly used for temporary venues,performances, or rallies. Typical mobile performance stages must beassembled on site. Modern mobile stages may come in the form of atrailer, wherein the mobile stage is collapsible to a compact and mobileunit. The APEX 3224 Mobile Stage, manufactured by APEX Stages ofPittsburg, Kans., is an example of such a mobile stage.

Mobile stages generally include a stage deck and can include a stageroof. In order to support the stage roof, columns or towers are oftenused as structural elements. A mobile stage can be a large structure,and its components are manufactured from steel or other structural,heavy metals. In a typical stage setup situation it may take fourlaborers to raise the stage roof from the stage deck. In doing so, thelaborers may have to drag the base of the stage towers across the stagedeck, which may damage the deck or the tower itself. Because thesestages are typically rented out for limited use, resiliency andlong-term reliability are important features.

Mobile stages are often an economical alternative to erecting apermanent stage at a site. The typical reasons for electing to use amobile stage include temporary use, cost, and reliability. Cutting thecosts of using a mobile stage provides additional incentive for using amobile stage. The simplest way to cut costs would be to reduce thenumber of persons required to setup and operate the stage. Costs arealso saved when the owner of a mobile stage knows the stage will last.These cost savings can be passed on to customers, increasing theincentive to use one mobile stage over another.

What is needed is a system of erecting a mobile stage featuring minimallabor, minimal time, and minimal wear on the mobile components.Heretofore there has not been a mobile stage tower-erecting apparatuswith the capabilities of the invention presented herein.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a connectionpost, including a socket joint, connected to a shuttle cart on casters.The socket joint is capable of receiving a ball connection at the baseof a structural tower. This connection allows a single operator to fullyassemble a mobile performance stage with ease and with no damage to thestage deck. The tower shuttle allows the towers to be moved intoposition no matter the required direction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings constitute a part of this specification and includeexemplary embodiments of the disclosed subject matter illustratingvarious objects and features thereof, wherein like references aregenerally numbered alike in the several views.

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a tower shuttle embodying an aspect ofthe present invention.

FIG. 2 is an elevation view thereof.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view thereof.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view thereof taken generally along line 4-4 inFIG. 3 and showing a ball-and-socket interconnection.

FIG. 5 is an exploded, isometric view thereof.

FIG. 6 is an isometric view of an initial step of erecting a mobilestage assembly comprising an aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an isometric view of an intermediate step of erecting themobile stage assembly.

FIG. 8 is an isometric view of a final step of erecting the mobile stageassembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

I. Introduction and Environment

As required, detailed aspects of the disclosed subject matter aredisclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosedaspects are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied invarious forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional detailsdisclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as abasis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching oneskilled in the art how to variously employ the present invention invirtually any appropriately detailed structure.

Certain terminology will be used in the following description forconvenience in reference only and will not be limiting. For example, up,base, front, back, right and left refer to the invention as oriented inthe view being referred to. The words “inwardly” and “outwardly” referto directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometric centerof the embodiment being described and designated parts thereof.Forwardly and rearwardly are generally in reference to the direction oftravel, if appropriate. Said terminology will include the wordsspecifically mentioned, derivatives thereof and words of similarmeaning.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention relies on theconstruction of a tower shuttle 17 using a connection post 1 mountedonto a shuttle cart 2. The shuttle 17 is used in conjunction with amobile stage 19 for erection and deconstruction of the stage.

II. Tower Shuttle 17

Referring to the drawings in more detail, reference numeral 17 generallyrefers to a tower shuttle. FIGS. 1-5 demonstrate the assembly of thetower shuttle 17. The shuttle 17 is comprised of a connection post 1 anda shuttle cart 2. The connection post 1 may be manufactured from asection of plastic pipe or plastic rod. Ideally, the material must holda significant amount of weight and be nearly wear-resistant. Thepreferred embodiment comprises a connection post 1 formed from a plasticrod coated in ceramic, such as the Ceram-Back® line of productsmanufactured by Progressive Products Inc. of Pittsburg, Kans.

In the preferred embodiment, the shuttle cart 2 is a square plastic cartincluding four plastic casters 4 attached to the cart 2 with plasticcaster brackets 6. As shown in FIGS. 2, 4, and 5, the casters 4 arelocated on a ball bearing wheel base 9, which allows the casters 4 tofreely rotate 360°, permitting the cart 2 to travel in any desireddirection. The connection post 1 is attached to the cart 2 using asecuring bolt 7 and washer 8.

FIG. 3 demonstrates the tower shuttle 17 in further detail. Theconnection post 1 includes a base 5 which may be of a larger diameterthan the main body of the post 1. The base 5 physically contacts theshuttle 2 to disburse the force of a supported tower downward, andincludes a chamfered bottom edge 11. The connection post 1 furtherincludes a chamfered top face 10 and houses a socket joint 3 at the apexof the post 1. The socket joint 3 is adapted for receiving a ball jointconnected to an appropriate tower.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the tower shuttle 17 showing how thesocket joint 3 accepts the ball joint 20 of a stage tower 18 or otherstructural element. The connection forms a ball-and-socket joint thatallows the tower 18 to raise no matter which direction the shuttle 17 ispushed.

FIG. 5 shows the complete assembly of the tower shuttle 17 in anexploded view. The bolt 7 threads through the washer 8, the bolt-hole 12located in the shuttle cart 2, and into the connection post 1. Thisforms a rigid connection between the post 1 and the cart 2.

III. Mobile Stage 19

As shown in FIGS. 6-8, in an embodiment of the present invention amobile stage 19 is hauled to a performance site and is erected thereon.In the preferred embodiment, the mobile stage 19 will transform from atrailer hauled by a truck or other vehicle into a fully functionaltemporary performance stage.

The mobile stage 19 includes a roof section 13, roof wing 14, side walls25, a rear wall 26, a stage deck 15 suspended upon a number ofretractable stage jacks 27, and at least two towers 18. As shown in theprogression demonstrated by FIGS. 6-8, the roof wing 14 includes twoattached towers 18. As the towers 18 are moved from a starting, foldedposition in FIG. 6 to a final, standing position in FIG. 8, the roofwing 14 fully extends over the stage deck 15. This forms a completestage with a roof covering for protecting performers and allowing lightsand other equipment to be mounted above the performers.

The roof section 13 is also held suspended above the stage deck 15 viaexpanding pillars 23. The pillars may expand using hydraulics, or othermechanical means; or they may expand as the towers 18 are moved intoplace. Once the roof section 13 is at an apex, and the towers 18 are ina final position, the expanding pillars 23 lock to maintain a final roofheight.

Side walls 25 and a rear wall 26 are affixed to the roof section 13. Asthe roof section 13 raises, the side walls 25 and rear wall 26 are alsoraised. These walls act to enclose the performance space of the mobilestage 19.

Each tower 18 includes proximal and distal ends 22, 24. The proximal endis attached to the roof wing 14 via a hinged connection. The distal end24 includes a ball joint 20 capable of being seated into the socketjoint 3 of the tower shuttle 17. Once the tower ball joint 20 isconnected to the tower shuttle 17, the shuttle aids in moving the tower18 from a folded position as shown in FIG. 6 to a standing position asshown in FIG. 8.

Upon the towers 18 and tower shuttles 17 reaching their final positionsas indicated in FIG. 8, the tower 18 is disconnected from the towershuttle 17, and the tower ball joint 20 is attached to a socket joint 16affixed to the stage deck 15. This secures the tower 18 in a finalstanding position that will ensure the stage 19 remains structurallysupported during the duration of the performance.

Once the performance has been completed, the mobile stage 19 must bedeconstructed and returned to its mobile form. The tower 18 isdisconnected from the stage mounted socket joint 16 and reseated intothe tower shuttle 17. The shuttle 17 will guide the towers 18 from thestanding position indicated in FIG. 8 back to a folded positionindicated in FIG. 6. The roof section 13 and stage deck 15 may then befolded up and the mobile stage 19 transported to a new location. Astandard trailer hitch 28 is affixed to the mobile stage 19 at an end,and allows the stage to be hauled by a standard truck or transporttractor. A number of wheels, not shown, may be affixed to the mobilestage 19 to accommodate transportation of the stage.

Because the mobile stage 19 may include hydraulic power for moving thetowers into place, the person operating the stage simply ensures thatthe tower ball joints 20 are firmly seated into the shuttle socketjoints 3, and then activates the stage's hydraulics. The towers willmove into position, where the operator can then transfer the tower 18from the shuttle socket 3 to the stage mounted socket 16. This allows asingle operator to setup and deconstruct the entire mobile stage 19without additional labor.

It will be appreciated that tower shuttle 17 can be used for variousother applications. For example, the transforming structural elementdoes not need to be a mobile performance stage 19. The structuralelement could be a store-front which transforms from a closed positionto an open position by erecting towers to support said store front.Moreover, the tower shuttle 17 can be compiled of additional elements oralternative elements to those mentioned herein, while returning similarresults.

It is to be understood that while certain aspects of the disclosedsubject matter have been shown and described, the disclosed subjectmatter is not limited thereto and encompasses various other embodimentsand aspects.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:
 1. A method of setting up atemporary structure, the method comprising: placing a transformablestructure at a selected location, said transformable structure having: aflat stage surface mounted upon a plurality of retractable stage jacks;a stage enclosure including a stage roof, a pair of side walls, a rearwall, a roof wing hingedly connected to said roof; a plurality ofexpanding pillars connected to said stage enclosure; at least twostructure towers hingedly connected to said roof wing; and a hitchconnection adapted for connecting with a transport vehicle; locating atleast two tower shuttles in proximity to said transformable structure,each said tower shuttle including a platform mounted upon a plurality ofcasters, and a connection post mounted upon said platform, each saidconnection post configured to receive an end of one of said structuretowers; installing at least two tower shuttle sockets mounted upon saidflat stage surface adapted for receiving and immobilizing said at leasttwo tower shuttles; leveling said flat stage surface by extending saidretractable stage jacks; connecting said at least two tower shuttles tosaid at least two structure towers via said tower shuttle connectionposts; and moving said at least two structure towers from a first,folded position to a second, upright position by sliding said at leasttwo tower shuttles along said flat stage surface into said tower shuttlesockets, thereby extending said expanding pillars and raising said stageenclosure.
 2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:rotating said roof wing 90 degrees from a closed position, wherein saidroof wing is perpendicular to said roof, to an open position, whereinsaid roof wing is parallel to said roof.
 3. The method according toclaim 1, further comprising: disengaging said tower shuttles from saidtower shuttle sockets; moving said structure towers from said uprightposition to said folded position by sliding said tower shuttles alongsaid flat stage surface; retracting said expanding pillars and loweringsaid stage enclosure; retracting said retractable stage jacks;connecting said hitch to a transportation vehicle; and removing saidtransformable structure from said selected location.
 4. The methodaccording to claim 1, further comprising: affixing a plurality of wheelsto said transformable structure.